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School Closures

Jump to 10/15 Town Hall info

On October 1 st , the VUSD School Closures Advisory Committee identified Poinsettia as one of its top three schools recommended for closure, following Lemon Grove and Mound. This is a recommendation, not a final decision. The VUSD Board of Education will ultimately decide whether any schools close.

During deliberations, the reasons cited for recommending Poinsettia included:

Low enrollment; future facility/modernization costs; traffic and location; potential cost savings; an assumption that Poinsettia families have the means to drive their children elsewhere.

We respect the difficult work of the committee. But we remain deeply concerned that several conclusions being drawn about Poinsettia do not reflect what the District's own data actually tells us.

“Poinsettia is expensive to operate.”

Per-student costs are affected by enrollment and by the services a school provides. Poinsettia operates a robust specialized autism program serving 45+ students, approximately 12% of our school population, with intentionally different staffing needs. A higher per-student cost cannot be interpreted without that context.

“Closing Poinsettia will produce significant savings.”

The District's own analysis estimated approximately $856,000 in annual savings from closing Poinsettia, the third-lowest estimated savings among the elementary schools evaluated. Closing a successful school should be weighed against the actual savings it would produce.

“Poinsettia needs expensive facility upgrades.”

The District has identified future facility needs at Poinsettia, but these are planned capital improvements, not the same thing as annual operating costs or immediate savings from closure. Poinsettia's facility condition was rated Fair, and millions of dollars have already been invested in the campus.

“Poinsettia's location creates traffic and safety concerns.”

Closing Poinsettia does not eliminate traffic. It moves hundreds of students to other campuses. Committee discussions themselves acknowledged that closure could increase traffic at receiving schools and require additional transportation.

“Poinsettia families can drive their children elsewhere.”

Poinsettia is a demographically diverse public school. Nearly 38% of our students are socioeconomically disadvantaged. Families' perceived ability to transport children should not substitute for analysis of actual transportation needs or access.

Academic achievement & equity: VUSD’s first LCAP goal is to increase student achievement for all students while decreasing performance gaps. Poinsettia earned Blue, the highest California Dashboard performance level, in both ELA and Math. Most notably, our socioeconomically disadvantaged students moved from 32.2 points below standard to 7.1 points above standard in ELA in a single year, a 39.3-point improvement, and showed the greatest year-over-year improvement in both ELA and Math among VUSD elementary schools in our comparison.

Specialized student support: Poinsettia’s autism program serves more than 45 students, approximately 12% of our school community, including children for whom stability, relationships and continuity of support can be especially important.

Whole-child wellness: Poinsettia was nationally recognized in 2026 as one of America’s Healthiest Schools for its work supporting student and staff health and well-being.

Community investment: VUSD’s LCAP also prioritizes parent and community involvement. Poinsettia families contribute their time, resources and expertise for the benefit of all students, regardless of an individual family’s ability to contribute.

Capacity & financial impact: Poinsettia is projected at only 63% utilization of permanent capacity, leaving room to serve additional students, while the estimated annual savings from closure is third-lowest among the 17 schools evaluated.

We will share important opportunities in the coming days for Poinsettia families to participate and advocate for our school. As we move through this process, our school leadership is committed to keeping the focus on our students and ensuring that our kids continue to experience Poinsettia as the joyful, supportive place they know and love.

Save the Date: Board Meeting Town HallThursday October 15th , 6-9PMBuena High Auditorium
Let’s show up together to support Poinsettia and make our voices heard.
In Partnership,Poinsettia Elementary Leaders, Staff, and PTO

HELP SAVE OUR SCHOOL

📧 Please Contact All 5 Trustees

James Forsythe — Board President
James.Forsythe@venturausd.org

Shannon Trani Fredericks — Vice President
Shannon.Fredericks@venturausd.org

Sabrena Rodriguez — Trustee
Sabrena.Rodriguez@venturausd.org

Jerry Dannenberg — Trustee
Jerry.Dannenberg@venturausd.org

Calvin Peterson — Trustee
Calvin.Peterson@venturausd.org

💡 Tip: You can send the same letter to all five trustees. Personalizing your message with why your school and community matter makes your voice even more impactful.

Help Tell Poinsettia's Story to the VUSD Board

The VUSD Board wants to hear from families and they have said that messages rooted in data resonate with them more than just personal anecdotes - remember that many people will be writing to the board with heartfelt messages about their connection to their school. A summary of the extensive data review is provided below to help guide your feedback. Use this resource to connect your family’s actual experience at Poinsettia with the information the District is considering.

Choose one or two topics below that genuinely speak to you. Use the data as context, then tell the Board what you have personally seen or experienced at Poinsettia.

Ready to write the email?

You can use this structure as a starting point but please make it your own.

Subject: Poinsettia Elementary – School Closure Consideration

Dear VUSD Board Members,

My name is ________, and I am the parent/guardian of [grade(s) of student(s)] at Poinsettia Elementary.

I am writing to advocate on behalf of my school and to share my family’s experience with [choose a topic above, and briefly reference the relevant Poinsettia data].

For our family, this matters because [tell your story including what you have personally experienced, why you chose Poinsettia, what support your child receives, what you have observed, or what closure would mean for your family].

As you evaluate Poinsettia, I hope you will consider [what you want the Board to understand or examine]. Thank you for considering our family’s experience as part of this process.

Sincerely,